Title: In My Arms
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG
Table: 3
Prompt: 26, Happy
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own Ianto Jones or the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

***

Ianto opened his eyes, blinking at the sunlight streaming in through the bedroom window. He blinked, once, twice, then reached out to where the Doctor was usually sleeping beside him with a soft smile on his face.

The smile disappeared when he realized that the Time Lord wasn't there.

Ianto sat up, wide awake, his senses alert. Where was the Doctor? Had he left again, without saying a word? No, he wouldn't have done that. They'd promised each other that there would be no more of those kinds of leave-takings, no more being apart.

He slumped back against the pillows, sighing in relief when he heard the unmistakable sound of the refrigerator door opening in the kitchen. That was it. The Doctor had gotten up early and decided to make breakfast for the two of them, that was all.

Really, he shouldn't worry so much, he chided himself as he threw the covers back and stood up. He knew that the Doctor wasn't going to leave him again. That had been a promise, and the Time Lord wasn't one to break his promises unless it was unavoidable.

Now that he thought about it, he could smell coffee; his lover apparently hadn't wanted to wait for him to wake up to start the day.

Ianto reached for his boxers, pulling them up and heading out of the bedroom with a smile on his face. It wasn't often that the Doctor was up before he was; usually, the two of them spent as much time as possible snuggling in bed.

Maybe this meant that the Time Lord was starting to feel restless, that he felt the need for them to take a bit of a trip somewhere. Ianto wasn't going to complain if that was the case; the adventures in the Tardis were always a source of joy to him.

Padding down the hallway, he stopped at the kitchen, leaning against the door frame and watching the Doctor. The Time Lord was actually humming, something that Ianto had never heard him do before. He sounded happier than he'd been in a while.

Not that they hadn't been happy lately, Ianto reflected, casting his mind back over the past weeks. They'd been able to avoid trouble in the few times they'd gone out into the universe, which was always something to be grateful for. in his opinion.

And they'd been able to come back here and feel at home. It was important to the Doctor to have somewhere that he could feel was a home, some place that he was secure other than in the Tardis. Ianto was thankful that he'd been able to give that to the man he loved.

Of course, the Doctor would never settle down. He didn't expect that; in fact, he didn't want it. He loved the Time Lord exactly as he was -- a traveler, a wanderer.

But he couldn't deny that he wanted to give the Doctor a sense of security that he'd never had from anyone else. He wanted to give him the place that he always came back to, the rock of stability that he could depend on.

He'd done that, not only in giving the Time Lord his home, but also in giving himself. How many times had the Doctor told him that he was cherished and needed, that he was a rock in a life that had always been too rudderless? Too many times for him to count.

The Doctor turned away from the kitchen counter, carefully holding two coffee mugs. He looked surprised to see Ianto standing there in the doorway; his eyes widened slightly, then a smile spread over his delicate features.

"Good morning," he said, moving towards Ianto and handing him one of the mugs. "I didn't feel like lying there in bed today. I don't know why .... and before you get it into your head that I want us to leave again, that's not it. I'd like to have a few more days here, at least."

"That's a relief," Ianto replied, taking a sip of the hot coffee. "And good morning to you, love. I was a little startled when I woke up and you weren't there, actually. I was afraid that you'd decided to take off again without telling me."

The Doctor sat down at the kitchen table, the smile fading from his face. "I wouldn't do that, Ianto," he murmured, looking down as though he couldn't meet Ianto's gaze. "I promised you, didn't I? I don't break promises, not ones that I can easily keep."

"I know you don't, love." Ianto could have cursed himself for saying that; he hadn't wanted to take the look of happiness away from the Doctor's face. "I was just startled, that's all. I knew you wouldn't leave. I have an unfortunate tendency to jump to conclusions."

"I'm happy here, Ianto." The Doctor finally looked up, his dark eyes meeting Ianto's. "I like spending time here. I can't always be here, of course, but I'm not going to leave unless you're with me."

Ianto reached across the table, twining his fingers through the Time Lord's and giving them a gentle squeeze. "That was just my fear and insecurity talking, Doctor. I know you won't leave. I trust you. I wouldn't be with you if I didn't."

The Doctor heaved a sigh that sounded like relief, the smile starting to come back. "Good. I don't want you to think that I'm not happy here, Ianto. I am. You know I can't stay in one place on a permanent basis -- but this feels more like home to me than anywhere else."

"I don't think it was really a home until you were here," Ianto mused, looking around the room. It was true; somehow, the flat had started to take on a more cozy quality since he'd been involved with the Doctor.

That was his coat hanging on the coat rack by the front door. Some of his clothes were hanging in the closet next to Ianto's. Even something as small as a toothbrush in the bathroom significed that there was a presence in the flat other than his.

"You've made this place a home," he said softly, his eyes returning to the Doctor's face. "Before, it was just a place where I ate and slept and spent a little time when I wasn't at work. Now .... it's a home that I can relax in and that I love coming back to."

"I'm glad you feel that way, sweetheart," the Doctor murmured, a pink bush creeping into his cheeks. "I wouldn't have thought that I could make any place feel like home."

"As long as you're happy here -- then so am I," Ianto told him, squeezing his hand again. "Before you came into my life, I don't think I really knew what happiness was. It's like my life began that night that we .... discovered each other."

"Of course I'm happy here," the Doctor said, his smile growing. "In fact, I don't think I've ever been happier. Happiness is an elusive thing, but when you're lucky enough to have it, don't let go. I don't intend to -- I'm holding on to this as hard as I can."

"And I'm holding onto you," Ianto said, standing up and leaning over to press his lips to the Doctor's forehead, then his cheek. "You make me happier than I've ever thought I could be, Doctor. You've given me a whole new life, one that I love and don't ever want to lose."

He slid an arm around the Doctor's slender waist, pulling the Time Lord to his feet and into his arms. "This is all I need to make me happy," he murmured into the Doctor's ear. "You in my arms. And in my heart."

The Doctor wrapped his arms around Ianto, leaning his forehead against his lover's, still smiling. "You know, that may be the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me. In over 900 years, I don't think I've ever heard anything that's made me happier."

"Well, making you happy is my highest priority," Ianto teased, a small chuckle following his words. "Or should I say, making us both happy."

"You're quite good at that, you know," the Doctor murmured, gasping as he was swept up into the young man's arms. "Ianto, our coffee's going to get cold!" he protested as he was carried out of the kitchen and back down the hall to their bedroom.

"Let it," Ianto whispered into his ear, not caring about the coffee or about anything else but being with the man he loved. "I think we have more important things to do at the moment."

"Well .... we do, don't we?" the Doctor sighed as Ianto lowered him onto the bed, sighing in contentment and pulling his young lover down against him.

"Oh yes," Ianto breathed, sure that he was happier at this moment than he'd ever been in his life.

***